A non-verbal, autistic girl and a chatty boy are partnered on a canoeing trip. To complete their journey across an urban lake, they must both learn how the other experiences the world.
Direction
Milsom's intimate framing makes you feel Renee's sensory world.
Sound
The loop of Renee's comfort sound becomes the emotional anchor.
Writing
Zero dialogue needed to understand everything.
Director
Erica Milsom
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Madison Bandy, who voices Renee, is autistic and non-speaking; her authentic vocalizations were recorded during sensory-friendly sessions. Pixar hired an autistic consultant and used looping animation workflows to accommodate neurodivergent artists.
Released as part of Pixar's SparkShorts program—low-budget experiments that gave us unprecedented autistic representation years before mainstream animation caught up. It's still one of the most accurate portrayals in film history.
US
